Senate Commemorates National Police Week

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate unanimously adopted a resolution marking National Police Week and reiterating support for the men and women in law enforcement.  The bipartisan resolution was led by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  It was also cosponsored by 84 of their Senate colleagues.

“I could not be more grateful for the bravery federal, state, local, and tribal police have shown during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.  As our country discusses how to best ensure accountability in our justice system and make our communities safer, it is important that we continue offering support for law enforcement officers who are serving us with dignity and integrity,” Durbin said.

“Putting on the badge to protect and serve our communities has always been a difficult and dangerous vocation, but last year has been one of the toughest.  While the ongoing pandemic added a new risk to the job, violent crime and attacks targeting police have spiked in recent years.  Now, more than ever, we owe law enforcement our gratitude and our support,” Grassley said.

The resolution honors the 576 law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty in 2021, including nearly 400 who died from COVID-19, as well as the 92 lost to date in 2022.  Last year marked the highest number of intentional killings of police since the September 11, 2001, attacks.  In the face of an ongoing pandemic and rise in violent crime, law enforcement personnel continue to answer the call, serving their communities, often at great risk to themselves.

The resolution designates the week of May 15 through May 21, 2022, as “National Police Week,” and expresses unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the United States in the pursuit of preserving safe and secure communities.

Along with Durbin and Grassley, the resolution is cosponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Angus King (I-Maine), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Gary Peters (R-Mich.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Conn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Michael Bennett (D-Colo.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), John Kennedy (R-La.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and John Hickenlooper (Colo.).

Text the resolution is available here.

-30-